


Outbreak: Pawnee

by ashisfriendly



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombies, Character Death, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-01
Updated: 2013-09-01
Packaged: 2017-12-25 06:22:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/949702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashisfriendly/pseuds/ashisfriendly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a snippet of a zombie outbreak in Pawnee.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Outbreak: Pawnee

Leslie’s not sure how long they’ve been walking, but she is very sure about how many people she’s killed: 23. Ben has killed 46, which would make you think that she wouldn’t be able to hold his hand, but she steals squeezes every 100 yards. Every time a wretched body made the flesh thud as it hit the ground, Ben reminded her it was no longer a person, but just an ugly shell of the Pawnee citizen she knew. Leslie noticed that April never needed reminding, even though Ron would pat her shoulder after a vicious attack that they all barely survived.

The woods were eerily quiet as they followed Ron to his cabin. Luckily there was more ammo there, more weapons, rations of food, and medical supplies. At least that’s what Ron told them, and there was no reason not to trust him. And there was no other choice.

Ann looked sad and still not comfortable with her axe that she held it in an awkward way across her shoulder. Leslie wanted to ask her if she was okay but felt it was stupid because of course she wasn’t. No one was. Tom didn’t make it out of their last battle and Andy still had a bullet wound on his arm that Ron kept whispering was “attracting them.” Everyone pretended not to hear him, but they all knew he was probably right.

“I feel like it’s never just us.” Ben whispered to Leslie. They had taken anchor because Leslie was a good hunter and Ben had surprisingly good archery skills that he accredited to the archery class he took in college.

A statement like that a week ago would have meant something different. He meant that he felt the zombies all around them, constantly. She did too, but she could forget about it for a second and admire the blooming trees or remember details of the last City Council meeting. Ben never could forget about the zombies. He hadn’t kissed her with his eyes closed in days.

Leslie just nodded and gave his hand a squeeze before gripping her shotgun, pointed at the ground as she walked. She needed to escape the nightmare for just one minute so she thought about her last coffee date with Ann. Beautiful Ann was worried about an intern at the hospital who had been giving her smoldering eyes when they passed in the hallways and found ways to sit with her at lunch. Leslie giggled and told Ann to go for it, have a fun fling with a stupid, young intern. Ann never asked him out.

“Les.”

Ben’s voice snapped her back to the forest and she noticed everyone stopped, weapons cocked with anticipation. Ron held a gun in his hand surprisingly steady, while his other hand stuck out protectively. Leslie felt her heart beat in her ears as Ben slowly drew an arrow from the quiver on his back. Leslie looked around, raising her gun but all she saw was Ron’s cabin, finally in the distance.

“April, get Andy to the cabin. Now.” Ron’s voice was sturdy and commanding.

April put herself in front of Andy and raised her crowbar. “I want to fight.”

Ron’s face didn’t change, his gaze strong on something in the distance. Leslie couldn’t see it, but apparently everyone else could. “Go.”

“But –“

“April.” He looked at her and tossed her a small handgun. A week ago Leslie would have flinched at the action, but now it seemed so natural.

April pushed Andy forward and left the group with out so much as a look at anyone. Goodbyes didn’t exist anymore.

Ben turned around, his eyes wide as he watched his perimeter. Everyone else followed Ron’s lead, looking ahead. Leslie watched April and Andy; young lovers who were going to live in a world full of rotting flesh and constant paranoia.

Leslie felt her blood rushing through her veins. She could hear Ben’s breaths behind her and the small rustling of leaves being pushed by the soft spring wind.

And then there was a gunshot and everything turned upside down.

Ron shot the zombie he had been watching with precision to no one’s surprise. A minute later three more ran from the trees to everyone’s surprise. Ben shot one through the eye and Leslie clipped one’s shoulder. Ann gripped her axe and waited for one to get close while the others were being taken care of from afar. Leslie wanted to worry about Ann, now the only short-range fighter of the group, but she couldn’t because Andy screamed and April cried out his name in a tone that made Leslie’s heart turn to ice.

Leslie’s shotgun lowered slowly as she watched April shoot the zombie in the head, Andy’s flesh still in its mouth as it collapsed to the ground. Leslie didn’t realize she was running until she stopped in front of Andy, the side of his neck exposed and bleeding, his eyes wide and scared. He touched the wound and kept mumbling “fuck” under his breath. April was crying but somehow still looking over her shoulder for more.

Slowly each member of their small army came up behind Leslie. When Ben finally came, he grabbed Leslie’s arm and dragged her away from the group.

“He’s been bitten.” Leslie wanted to scream at him that of course he was, she saw it, blood on the ground was evidence enough. But she knew what he meant and she couldn’t lose another.

“He may not change.” Leslie’s eyes were on Andy, being helped by Ann and watched by Ron. April had a hand in Andy’s hair and the other clutching the collar of her t-shirt.

“Leslie.” She could hear the strain in his voice to stay calm and reasonable. She knew what had to be done but she wanted to be naïve, play dumb, to just not feel so powerless. “We all agreed. Andy… Andy did, too.”

“No!” She yelled. She felt eyes on her but didn’t care. She was being stupid and selfish but what else could she feel? She watched Chris get swarmed, never saw Tom after their last battle and hadn’t heard from her mother who had to be dead.

Ben grabbed her face between his hands and stared at her. “Leslie. We have to. He’s contagious, in minutes he wont even be Andy anymore. He’s… he’s already dead.”

Leslie gulped, fighting back emotions that she would normally always welcome. This was it. Their lives were now about survival and murder, her life with Ben was shotguns and arrows.

When the gunshot echoed through the woods Ben hugged her and she knew he was trying to muffle April’s sobs with his arms. Ben could protect her from zombies and viruses, but never from the hurt of losing her friends and family.


End file.
